maldura



Patented Feb. 18,1896."

ANo. 554.828.

limitan STATES ATENT @Erica GIOVANNI B. MALDURA, OF ROME, ITALY.

BRIDGE FOR MANDOLINS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 554,828, dated February 18, 1896.

Application tiled August 13. 1895. Serial No. 559,182. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GIOVANNI BATrisTA MALDURA, a subject of the King of Italy, and a resident of Rome, Italy, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Finger- Boards and Bridges for Mandolins, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in linger-boards and bridges for mandolins and mandolas, and the object of my invention is to provide such means as to obtain easier playing and the best sound.

Upon the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this speciiication, the same letters of reference denote corresponding parts, of which- Figure 1 is a perspective viewof the lingerboard actually used in mandolins. Fig. 2 is a section of the same on line a: of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the fingerboard of my system. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of the same. Figs. 5 and 6 are sectional views, respectively, on lines .e zand y y of Fig. 3. Fig. 7 shows, in enlarged scale, the bridge as it is now used in mandolins; and Fig. S shows, also. in enlarged scale, the new bridge of my system.

The mandolin used at present is made with straight finger-board F, Fig. l, and bridge P, Fig. 7, parallel to the sounding-board T. As thus constructed, the instrument presents practically great defects, as will be explained.

lVhen the wrist is worked in the execution of the tremolo (to prolong the sound, as in song) while the fore part of the right arm rests on the edge of the mandolin playing the first string E, one naturally describes the curve ab, Fig. 7, with the plectrum (or pen) which is farthest above the sounding-board on the side of the basses G and falls on the cantino (ormelody strings) E. The plectrum must always hurry over this same line a b to touch the strings F. and develop the tremolo. However, when one wishes to touch, not the cantino E but the second strings A, the hand must necessarily deviate from the iirst or natural line a Z1 and describe a second line c d, while the wrist must be turned inward, from which results such rigidity that the tremolo cannot be executed with that freedoin and soft-ness with which it would be eX- ecuted if one could move the hand to touch lthe strings A without thus forcing the wrist.

This also happens when one has to play on the strings D and G, but in a more pronounced degree, because the deviation from the iirst or natural line a b is greater and the strength of the wrist is increased.

A fine tremolo results when to the rapidity and isochronism of the strokes is added the same degree of force in each; but this equality in the strokes cannot be obtained in mandolins having the bridge parallel to the sounding-board, because the plectrum (or pen) falling on the twin strings from above to below, or running over the line a l? from a to b, will touch both the strings, (first and second,) and returning from below to above or ruiming over the line from h to a will touch only one of the twin strings-that is, the secondconsequently making the stroke from low to high weaker than that from high to low, a weakness that increases with the constantly-diminished impetus of the hand, and that also produces a certain disastrous loss of equilibrium. Moreover, on the iirst of the twin strings the plectrum in the stroke from above to below scarcely touching this string will naturally slip on the second, the latter being struck with a greater depth of plectrum and deviating more from its position of equilibrium will make ampler vibrations, developing more sound than it is possible to develop on its first string and producing inequality. This with regard to the tremolo on the single strings.

Let us see what follows when one tries tomake the tremolo on three or all four strings,

as in part music. Here the plectrum must not only be brought from o to g, Fig. 7, to touch the bass-strings, but it must come still farther, so that, reaching the point m, it may trace the line m n in contact with all four twin strings. To make this possible the Wrist must be twisted more than it only the fourth string G. were to be played, forcing the Wristmuscles to such a degree that sometimes become so painful as to seriously impede progress. The line m n, traced by the plectrum to embrace the four strings, instead of one alone, must necessarily be much longer and the tremolo must be executed with much greater velocity, thus giving the wrist more IOO impetus, which, requiring greater force, is much more fatiguing. (')bserving` these defects I applied myself to ind another system. First o'i all I studied the straight bridge and raised it on the side of the basses G to the eantino E in such wise that the curve naturally traced by the pleetrum lies on this line, allowing the wrist by an. almost imperceptible exertion to carry the hand to any string oi' the instrun'ient ivith the pleetrum, as appears from Fig. 8. The eurve a b Vis that run over by the pleetrum seconded by the raising of the bridge I.

It will be easily Vunderstood how with this new bridge .it is much easier to play the four strings at the same time and how one can draw the same intensity or degree oil. sound from the four strings simultaneously. From this I have obtained two other advantages. First, the two strings of each sound can be struck with equal force and in both the upper and lower strokes, and, second, the bassstrings being raised farther from the sounding-board T have acquiredv greater depth and intensity of sound.

In consequence of this modiiication I have given. the outline shown by Figs. 5 and (j to the finger-board F/ that the fingering of the bassstrings may be facilitated. Next, I studied to leave the greater part of the soundingboard free, thus rendering it more resonant.

I accomplished this by vaulting (or arching) that part X Y, Figs. 3, #i and 5, of the iingerboard F that rests ou the soumling-board T,

so that instead of being glued over the entire `fY surface X IV it dominates it now, onlyr fastened by Vits lateral parts lV 'W'. I also lightened the bridge by making in it elliptical openings through its eenter just under each pair of strings, as iu Fig. S.

Having thus described my invention, wha t I claim, and desire to secure by Letters latent, is-

il.. A finger-board and bridge for mandoiins and niandolas higher on the side of the basses G than. on the side of the eaniino lll so that the plane of the four strings is not parallel to the plane of the soululing-board, but is inclined toward the cantine ,lil and the eurve naturally traced by the pleetrum lies in it, substantially as described.

2. Ineonibination Withanlandolin, a sounding-board, a 'linger-board and the bridge higher on the bass side and inelining downward to the cantine, substantially as deseribed.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two witnesses.

G. lll. lllAlilYUlA.

\Vitnesses:

NIcoLA. LA unoUx, Ronnn'r l. liANnLnv. 

